I briefly saw off Drake.
Since the wedding is next week.
There are probably more than a few people I need to hand invitations to today.
When I returned to the room, Catherine asked me a question while manipulating the sight interface.
“Where’s Drake?”
“He must be really busy right now.”
Catherine nodded at my words.
Catherine probably knows as well.
In fact, if I had to pick the most ‘normal person’ among our colleagues, ‘Drake’ would definitely be number one.
Considering Drake’s personality.
(I mean) he wouldn’t want to half-heartedly handle a wedding that’s only supposed to happen once.
I sat down in the guest chair where Drake had been sitting.
I guess Drake had already been sitting there for a while.
The joints of the chair were slightly creaked.
…Forget the chair.
Drake is getting married.
It feels really bittersweet.
It’s not a waste that I entered the game.
I leaned back in the chair and thought.
What should I gift him?
In Korea, I would just give monetary gifts and call it a day.
But in this ‘Cyberpunk world’ where American culture takes over, it’s mostly about giving gifts.
Furniture? A fridge?
Should I just gift him the entire cyberware shop building?
The reward Pete Mc gave me is still filling my account to the brim.
No matter what gift I choose, it won’t be burdensome.
What to do…
Just as I was pondering, Catherine called out to me.
“Hey, hey hey hey hey.”
What is it now, Catherine?
I didn’t reply and just looked her way.
Her golden eyes were staring straight at me.
“Who are you planning to bring?”
“What?”
At my confusion, Catherine shared her sight interface with me.
It was the content of the RSVP card sent by Drake.
Since the wedding is next week anyway.
You just have to write down whether you’re attending.
Well, there shouldn’t be anything to worry about.
Thinking that, I checked the text on the RSVP card that Catherine sent me.
【Who are you planning to attend with?】
…….
What should I write.
I have to write down the people I’ll go with─.
“Ah.”
Instinctively, I raised my head.
Looking around.
Catherine, who asked me, Andrea, who was eavesdropping subtly, and Eve, who was boldly watching me.
The three of them had their eyes fixed on me.
Again.
I don’t know why, but people like Julia, Natasha, and Maya flashed through my mind one after another.
Am I supposed to pick just one from here?
It’s an extremely difficult issue.
Really, extremely incredibly.
And.
After a brief silence, I opened my mouth.
“… I’m going to.”
25. What Are You Doing to Me (2)
Santos knows that he’s an ordinary person.
Of course, living in the middle class, he knows that he’s in a position above the middle class citizens living in Neon City.
But that said.
He’s never thought of himself as ‘special’ even once.
Living a normal family life.
Working normally.
Maintaining ordinary human relationships.
That’s how Santos defined himself.
Until he received an invitation from his neighbor, the dwarf ‘Drake Carter,’ to attend his wedding, he thought so.
In the church of the middle class, South Pilly.
“Wow, you rented this place?”
Santos muttered to himself.
“They said they’d only invite people they know.”
Drake.
Seems he has a stronger pride than I thought.
The size of the wedding venue was larger than what Santos had anticipated. Of course, such types were not rare in Neon City.
Santos casually led his family inside the church.
Even if they are holding a wedding at the largest church in the middle class, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime event.
It was something an ordinary person could achieve.
Regretting the expense of credits isn’t his concern anyway.
Santos puffed out his chest proudly.
He dusted off the luxury brand he bought (50% off) for today.
Also, he had properly prepared outfits for his wife and children.
There was no need to be needlessly intimidated just by the ‘scale of the wedding.’
He waved at the enormous man in the distance.
“Drake!”
Seeing Santos’s face, Drake grinned.
‘How much exercise has he done?’
Santos greeted Drake, who made him feel guilty about his own belly fat.
Whether he knew how Santos felt or not, Drake offered a typical greeting.
“Thank you for coming, Santos.”
“Haha, well, since we’re neighbors, of course, I had to come.”
As Santos shook Drake’s hand, he thought.
‘…He said he was a dwarf.’
Why is he so enormous?
A sudden question popped into his mind.
He should just be an ordinary cyberware shop owner.
“…”
Santos shook his head, shaking off his worries. It was because it was surprisingly common for someone in the cyberware business to have cyberware procedures done on their own body.
After a brief greeting, Santos stepped over to a wooden chair on one side of the church.
“Daddy, when’s the meal?”
“Just wait a bit.”
Calming his whining little daughter, he waited for the wedding to start.
He casually looked over to Drake, trying to see if there was anyone he knew among the guests arriving.
Then it happened.
“I’m here!”
A big, cheerful voice.
But the gaze of the assembled guests shifted in that direction not just because of the ‘voice.’
‘…Wow.’
Santos admired quietly.
He couldn’t express his admiration loudly, or he would receive intense annoyance from his wife sitting next to him.
Golden hair shone dazzlingly.
There were many people around Santos who had dyed their hair blonde, but it was rare to find someone who matched it as well as her.
She was wearing a yellow frilled dress.
The not-so-glossy material fit naturally into the wedding atmosphere.
“Catherine’s here.”
Since she was a close friend, Drake greeted her brightly.
“Siwoon’s in the restroom.”
Having overheard that conversation, Santos thought.
‘Siwoon, Shun? Anyway, a fortunate person.’
Santos casually glanced at his wife.
When he got married, he thought he’d be happy forever.
But now, a hefty toad is occupying the space beside him.
Santos cleared his eyes and looked back at the woman called Catherine.
Another woman walked towards them.
“Hmm, quite grand, huh? I thought it would be small.”
Santos’s eyes widened.
It seemed he wasn’t the only one who noticed.
The gaze of the surrounding guests was focused entirely on the woman, the ‘celebrity.’
Her long red hair was elegantly tied in braids, flowing down smoothly.
Her attire was rather simple, but the person herself seemed so radiant that it felt extravagant in contrast.
Drake welcomed the singer, the celebrity, Andrea.
“Thank you for coming, Andrea. It may seem grand, but it’s just the scale. Lorenda said a church would be better for it.”
The famous influencer that Santos had only seen on TV.
It was Andrea Rose.
Even Santos, who wasn’t particularly interested in worldly matters, knew her because she was such a famous entertainer.
Santos cautiously raised his own level of appreciation for Drake.
‘…He sure has connections.’
To think a celebrity would come to congratulate him.
But…
After greeting Andrea, she approached the woman he had seen earlier, Catherine.
“Siwoon went to the restroom, right?”
“Yeah.”
…….
Who on earth.
‘Who the hell is Shun.’
Does he have loads of credits or something?
Jealousy came before envy.
‘…He must be some nobody.’
Spitting out black emotions inside his heart.
Of course.
If the guests had ended there, Santos would have just thought that.
Drake continued to guide the guests one by one.
“Julia, is it? Nice to meet you.”
“…Yes.”
“The people waiting for Siwoon are over there.”
A woman (beauty) hugging a white rabbit doll walked towards the two.
“Boss, thank you for your time.”
“Don’t mention it, Siwoon? We agreed to meet here.”
“You should wait over there.”
A sharp-featured woman (beauty), and an orc who looked like a bodyguard.
“…Um.”
“…Who─, ah. It’s Maya. I’ve heard a lot about you from Siwoon.”
“…Yes.”
“You should wait over there, and Siwoon should come along soon.”
Although they appeared relatively average, there was still a beauty among them.
That way, finally.
Many beauties gathered together, chatting away.
‘…What the heck.’
Even if his wife’s gaze grew fiercer.
Santos couldn’t help but turn his head that way.
‘…What kind of event is this?’
Since they all seemed to come looking for the guy called ‘Shun,’ he couldn’t help but think that way.
‘No, get a grip.’
Santos shook his head.
His wife’s gaze had gotten so intense that he couldn’t bear it anymore, and soon the starting time of the wedding written on the invitation was approaching.
He came to congratulate his neighbor’s wedding, not to ogle at the surroundings.
In Neon City, marriage is a blessed event.
He knows that well, having experienced it himself.
Especially if that person is a good neighbor.
‘…Well, still.’
There shouldn’t be any more surprises now.
Santos thought so, waiting for the start of the wedding while taking care of his daughters.
“…”
Santos sensed a change in the atmosphere.
Looking around.
Suddenly, men in black suits who hadn’t been visible before began to appear at every entrance.
He had no idea when they had been there.
Beyond the stained glass of the massive church.
Black shadows passed by.
‘…Air vehicles?’
Air vehicles are forbidden from entering here, right?
And they weren’t even small. They weren’t sized for regular transportation.
They were of a type that would typically be used by a megacorp─.
– Thud.
The closed door opened.
Purple hair was the first to catch his eye.
It was true that everyone else who had appeared before lacked that overwhelming presence, but this person felt completely different.
Somehow.
She seemed to be from another world, Santos thought.
Even the friendly neighbor, Drake, who didn’t know the identity of that woman, wore a puzzled expression like Santos.
And next to the woman.
A neatly groomed black-haired man naturally followed behind.
“…Justin Borg?”
Drake mumbled.
Then he let out a chuckle, as if he hadn’t expected it, and addressed the woman.
“I’m sorry I didn’t recognize you at first.”
And he continued his words.
“Chairman, thank you for coming.”
“Hmm.”
Chairman.
Usually denotes the head of a specific corporation.
Having overheard that much, Santos swallowed hard.
Santos couldn’t comprehend where he currently was.
*
Whoa, I’m nervous.
I came out of the restroom, having washed my hands.
“…Phew.”
And then I faced Eve standing in front of me.
“…”
She was waiting right in front of the restroom.
I thought while looking at Eve.
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